You Belong With Me
by imaginethatmel
Summary: Bella and Edward have always been best friends but Bella harbours a secret love for Edward. Unfortunately, Edward has a girlfriend and is oblivious to Bella's feelings. Will Edward ever figure out Bella is the one for him? based on Taylor Swift. AH
1. Chapter 1

My life is a Taylor Swift song. How much more pathetic can you get? Don't get me wrong, I am a major fan of Taylor Swift but she writes the same stuff about her being invisible, her crush not liking her, finding true love then losing it, getting angry and making up, yada yada yada. I mean come on, not everyone's life has that much drama. Unfortunately, mine does. Well, sort of. You see, I am in love with my best friend who I have known since I was 7. His name is Edward and he is just absolutely gorgeous. He is super tall with well toned muscles, bronze hair that is always sexily messed up, a beautifully crooked smile that he threw at everyone that made him happy, and, my personal favorite, piercing green eyes that seemed to look straight into my soul. Of course, if they really did, then he would know that I am in love with him! Ugh, this boy infuriates me. To top his amazingness all off, he is the quarterback of the football team and insanely smart. So cliché, right? But its shockingly true.

Anyways, I have known Edward ever since I moved in with my dad when I was seven after my mom remarried to Phil. I am so happy I did. Don't take it the wrong way though. Phil is a great guy, its just that their relationship was very new and I didn't want them to feel put out by me. So I moved myself out here to be with my dad, Charlie, who is totally awesome. He is pretty quiet but I know he loves me and couldn't be happier that I live with him. I was pretty scared to move out here because I knew no one but I made friends really quick. You see, the day after I moved in (and I moved in the summer so I was off school), the Cullen and Hale families came over and introduced themselves. The Cullens lived down the street from my dad and the Hales lived across the street. They came over and brought their children who just happened to be my future best friends. Dr. Carlisle and his wife Esme had Emmett, 9, and Edward and Alice who looked nothing alike though they were twins, both 7. The Hales had Rosalie and Jasper who were also twins, both 8. I still remember that day like it was yesterday…

_~Flashback~_

"Dad, did you see where I put Mr. Fuzz? I can't find him anywhere and I already unpacked my boxes," I said as I came running down the stairs, my brown, wavy hair bouncing in a ponytail behind me. Naturally, being the total klutz I am, I tripped on the final stair and fell flat on my face.

"Oof!" I said as I picked myself up off the ground.

"Bells? Are you alright? I thought I heard a thud," Charlie said as he came running to see if I was alright. When he came in and saw that I was up and functioning, he laughed.

"_Oh Bella, you are still just as clumsy as you were as a baby. Good to know you haven't changed," he said as he came over and wrapped me in a big hug while I grinned up at him. "Now, lets find this Mr. Fuzz of yours. He is a teddy bear, I assume?"_

"_He sure is! And he's really fuzzy" I said in all seriousness as Charlie just laughed at me. _

_We both went into the living room and searched high and low for the bear and we just couldn't find him. When we were just about to go into another room, the doorbell rang and I ran to follow Charlie who was walking swiftly to the door. Once we got there, I saw a bunch of kids out on the porch and 4 older people smiling at Charlie and I through the screen. _

"_Hey Chief Swan! We heard your daughter came yesterday and thought we would come and introduce the kids to her," said a man who looked very nice. I liked him immediately._

"_Well hey there, Dr." he said as he opened the door and shook the man's hand. He hugged the women who walked in behind the doctor and shook the other man's hand as well. "How have you been Richard?" _

_The kids, who were behind their parents filed in after them surprisingly quiet. I took in each of them at once. First, there was a really big one who looked like he could be in third grade with curly brown hair and wide, brown eyes. Second, a smaller boy with blonde hair and clear, blue eyes came trailing in behind the first. Behind the blonde came two girls holding each other's hands, a small one with short, dark hair, and a tall one with long blonde hair. They looked like they were really nice, I decided. Behind them, followed a cute little boy with long, messy hair that looked like the color of the pennies in my piggy bank. He looked the nicest I decided as he looked around the house with kind, green eyes. His eyes found me, hiding behind Charlie's leg and he smiled what was the first of many crooked smiles at me. I smiled shyly back at him as I blushed and ducked my head._

"_My goodness, Charlie, is this Bella all grown up? Why the last time I saw her, she was barely walking!" Said a kind looking woman with brown hair, standing next to the doctor._

"_Oh she's so beautiful, Charlie! Just look at her, so old now!" The other woman with blonde hair exclaimed. Charlie stepped to the side, giving them a full view of me and I smiled shyly at them all as I blushed a deep red._

"_Bella, these people live right around here and they've brought their kids to say hi," Charlie said as he smiled down at me. I stepped in front of him and smiled at all of them kindly._

"_Its nice to meet you," I said quietly. All the kids stepped toward me and offered their names._

_The short girl with dark hair stepped right up to me and wrapped her small arms around me in a friendly hug. "I'm Alice and I can tell that we are going to be best friends!" she said in a high-pitched voice. The blonde girl stepped up after her and gave me a huge grin and said, "My name's Rosalie and I like you already" I smiled back at her as the big boy stepped toward me and gave me a huge bear hug that squished all my bones. "My name is Emmett the Mighty, but you can just call me Emmett," he said as he released me. The tall, blonde boy stepped up to me next and gave me a shy smile, saying, "I'm Jasper." I gave him an equally shy smile in response. Finally, the last boy came up to me and beamed, saying, "Bella, my name is Edward and I think you are very pretty." I blushed bright red but responded saying, "Hi Edward. I'ts very nice to meet you." _

_~End Flashback~_

And that was it. It was the first moment I met Edward that I knew he was destined to be my very best friend and that's how it has been ever since. Emmett and Jasper are the brothers I never had and Alice and Rosalie are the sisters and best girl friends a girl could ever want. When we reached high school, Emmett and Rosalie started dating, as did Jasper and Alice. It seemed perfectly normal to us, though, because Emmett and Rosalie were always flirting with each other and making out when they thought no one was watching. Alice and Jasper were just adorable because they could just sit next to each other for hours without saying anything but saying everything with their silence. As for Edward and me? We stayed best friends and knew everything there is to know about each other. We spent practically every waking moment together and even spent some nights together. You see, we have this really close relationship that if I am super upset about something, Edward will just come to my house and spend the night with me, just laying there, comforting me with his songs or vice versa, just me without the songs. Did I mention that Edward plays the piano? Well if I didn't, he does. And those are the songs he would hum to me. Charlie never knew what was happening because when we were in 4th grade, we set up ladders going into each other's rooms so that we wouldn't ever have to use the front door. It has been very handy throughout the years because I am guessing Charlie would flip out if he knew that Edward was sneaking into my room at night, even though we are doing nothing wrong. So anyways, that's where Edward and I stand on the whole relationship thing. Best friends who, I am pretty sure, can't get any closer.

As I got into Edward's car on Monday morning, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation between Edward and his long-term girlfriend, Tanya, or a.k.a., the Beast but only by the rest of our group. We would never tell Edward or he would kill us all. "Tanya, I already said I was sorry! What else do you want me to say? I was just joking around with you. I didn't know you would take me seriously." A long pause followed and I assumed Edward was getting an ear full.

"Tanya, listen to me please! I am truly sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry." Another pause. "Well, I don't know what else you want me to say. Talk to me when you forgive me, or don't. Its up to you," He said as he shut the phone with a frustrated groan. He slammed the phone down onto the dashboard and put his head on the steering wheel. I wasn't sure what I should do so I just put my hand on his shoulder lightly and rubbed soothing circles on his back. After a minute or so, he sat up and turned to me, giving me a slight smirk.

"Good morning, Bella. Sorry about that. Tanya was just being…Tanya, I guess," he said with a sigh. I removed my hand from his shoulder and placed it on his hands that were gripping the wheel so hard, his knuckles were turning white.

"Edward, its fine. I still don't know why you put up with her, though. She seems to always be so angry at you lately" I said as I looked at him. He looked at me with pain in his eyes and said, "I honestly don't know anymore. I say the littlest things and I just set her off. She just doesn't understand when I am joking around with her and she ends up being offended! I guess I just can't joke around with her like I do with…" he trailed off as he turned his head toward the road and started the engine.

I also turned to look at the road and took my hand off of his. I assumed he was going to say "with you" but I didn't want to make a fool of myself and say anything so I sat in silence. It made me happy to know that he realizes I get his jokes and stuff and that he is more comfortable with me. I just wish that he would realize he was in love with me too.

As we pulled into the school, I looked around and saw Alice and Rose standing next to Emmett's jeep. Emmett and Jasper had probably already gone to drop off their practice gear in the locker room. I grabbed my bag and got out of Edward's car, making my way over to where the girls were standing. As I drew nearer, Alice squealed and ran over to me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Alice, its good to see you too," I said with a laugh. "But I just saw you on Saturday when you nearly killed me so what's with the overenthusiastic greeting?" I asked with a playful smile on my face. I, of course, was referring to the shopping trip she, Rose, and I all had in Port Angeles. I hate any type of shopping anyways, unless it's online and even then it's iffy, but going with Rose and Alice is just pure torture from Hell. They seem to think it's fun to give me a billion things to try on and force me into the ugliest clothes that are supposedly in style. This particular Saturday wasn't as bad as it usually is and I ended up getting some really cute stuff.

"Bella, you are wearing one of the shirts you bought on Saturday! I am so proud of you," She said as she wiped a fake tear off her cheek.

"Yeah, Bella. It looks fabulous on you! We picked good, Alice" Rosalie said as she came up and gave me a hug.

"Thanks guys, but it really isn't that big of a deal. It's just another shirt," I said with an eye roll. I looked to Edward for back up but found that he wasn't with me anymore. I looked around to see where he was and saw that he was pressed up against his car in a full make-out session with Tanya. I winced when I saw them and looked over to Rose and Alice and saw they had sympathetic looks on their faces.

"I guess they made up," I said with a sigh. Just then the bell rang. "Come on guys or we'll be late." We slowly made our way to the school and said our goodbyes, seeing as we didn't have any classes together, except lunch. Rosalie and Alice both new about my love for Edward and truly felt for me. They were both willing to help me do something about it but I was too scared to ruin our friendship so I made them swear not to tell anyone, even Emmett and Jasper. As I walked into my first period English class, I went to my usual seat with a heavy heart, knowing Edward wasn't going to be sitting next to me today, seeing as things are now ok with him and Tanya. If only he knew how I felt, and he felt the same I thought as I slid out my notebook, preparing for the long class to start.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hiya. Thanks to everyone who waited so patiently and to everyone who reviewed!

Chapter 2

"The Police, the Clash, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones. I mean come on, what's up with all the "thes"? I think pretty much all the 1970s punk rock bands have some form of "the" in their name," Edward stated with an eye roll as he continued to rifle through my CDs that were currently spread out all over my floor.

It was Tuesday night and Edward and I were having our typical Tuesday night music session. We had almost the exact same taste in music and we were constantly finding new bands. When we first discovered our shared tastes, we were constantly emailing each other links to new bands, burning each other CDs, and calling each other over at school to listen to the _best_ band ever. Eventually, we figured that all of this was getting way too distracting at school so we formed our Tuesday night meetings. Every Tuesday we would come over to my house or his and bring all the music we found over the week and share it. Burning the CDs or downloading the latest together. I still remember our first Tuesday meeting…

_~Flashback~_

"_Edward, come here! You've got to hear this," I yelled across the hall as soon as I saw the back of Edward's head. He turned around, searching for me, and I could see his eyes light up when he realized I was waving my ipod in the air. I grinned at him, happy that he enjoyed this as much as I did. _

_By 7__th__ grade, I was already head over heels in love with him, of course, but he didn't have much interest in girls. His interests ran in sports, hanging out with his buddies, and, obviously, music. Fortunately for me, we had the last one in common._

_As he jogged over to my side and stopped right in front of me, I had to tell my heart to keep beating because just looking at his amazingly gorgeous 13-year-old-boy face made me want to swoon like an idiot. I cleared my throat stupidly and turned back to the task at hand. _

"_Ok, so I just found this awesome new band called the Decemberists. They just signed with that record company we like, Capitol Records? They have a solidly folk rock sound that you would think echoes their lyrics, but really, their lyrics take a more storytelling approach instead of the usual introspective, badass lyrics. You'll like them." He laughed as I finished my rant and took the ear bud I handed to him._

_He bobbed his head in time with the music and laughed along with me at the silly lyrics. When the song was finished, he handed it back with a smile._

"_I really like them. Where'd you find them? Do you have any more of their songs?" he asked with a sparkle in his eyes._

"_I found them on this awesome website last night when I was searching for related bands to Norfolk and Western, that super indie band I showed you Sunday. I have their whole EP that came out a couple years ago and I was going to get their newest CD today after school. Want to join?"_

"_Yeah, definitely! It's Tuesday so I don't have any practices today. I'll meet you at your house after school?"_

"_Perfect. See you!" As I walked down the hallway to my seventh grade English class, I couldn't help smiling at the fact that Edward was willing to spend his one free afternoon with me._

_That night, after we had gone to the nearest music store to pick up the CD, we were sprawled on my floor with our 2 ipods between us. Showing each other what we liked and loved._

"_Ok, now this band has more of a classic rock feel to it but is mixed in with some modern day pop so it gives a nice contrast. See, there! Did you hear that piano solo? Totally original. I'm going to do that someday, you know?" he said as he was lying with his head touching mine and his feet facing my door. I was opposite, with my feet pointing towards my window. I rolled my head up to look at him and saw that he was doing the same._

"_You could totally do that, Edward. It wouldn't even be hard for you. If you just found people with the same passion and talent that you have, you could easily be the next Rogue Wave. I'd, of course, become your groupie."_

_He laughed. "For some reason, I just can't imagine you as a groupie, Bells. 'Oh Edward! Will you sign my forehead? Oh Edward! You played so well tonight, meet me in the back, would you?'" he said in a high pitched voice. I was cracking up at his attempt to talk in a girlie voice._

"_Was that supposed to be me?" I managed to choke out. He just laughed and shook his head. As we continued to talk and listen to music together, we both realized that we didn't hang out as much as we used to any more and this was the first time in a long time that we hung out for hours. _

"_I have an idea," he stated as he sat up. I followed suit and turned around to look at him._

"_Ok, shoot."_

"_What if we did this every Tuesday? Because Tuesdays are always free for me anyways and I miss my Jingle Bells! We could save up all our music that we find over the week and share it with each other on Tuesday. That way, we have something to look forward to, we won't keep being distracted at school, _and_ I get to see you," he finished off as he smiled down at me. I blushed bright red at his last comment but nodded my head anyways._

"_I think it sounds perfect."_

_~End Flashback~_

From then on, each Tuesday was devoted to one another. Eventually, we grew a little less busy and were able to meet more than just Tuesdays. In fact, most school days, Edward would come over to my house after practice and we would do our homework together. You would think that because he was with Tanya, he would devote most of his time to her, but she only got him on the weekends, and even then only for a couple hours at a time. I, on the other hand, was at his house most weekends with Alice, so I saw him then too. It was perfect.

As I refocused on what Edward was saying, I realized that he was holding out a CD for me to take.

"I think that the "thes" adds to the overall dynamics of their names. I mean, imagine if it was just, "Clash," or "White Stripes." The "thes" single them out, make them important. It's like they're saying that they're _the_ Clash, not just any Clash, but the only one there is. I like it. Oh, here, listen to this one," I said as I pulled up a song on my laptop that was sitting in front of us on the floor. I turned the volume up and poked play, just as Edward's phone ringer went off. I rolled my eyes and handed him the phone that had fallen next to me.

"I'm sorry, Bells. Just give me one second." He pleaded as he glanced down at the caller id screen. I waved him off and pressed pause, trying to limit the noise level. I got up and flopped onto my bed on the opposite side of the room, attempting to give him some privacy.

"Tanya, hey," he said as he walked out onto my deck. Ever since yesterday's fight, Edward hadn't talked to Tanya, and she hadn't called him-until now. I new once her name flashed across that screen that they would make up which means he would be leaving soon to go be with her.

I could hear him talking in a soothing voice, which meant that they were definitely making up. I sighed rolled off the bed, walking over to grab my guitar from my music corner of my room. Even though I wasn't the best guitar player, I loved playing more than anything else and it always helped me relax.

I played covers most of the time, but just recently I became interested in writing my own music. As I was rifling through Regina Spektor on my ipod one time and really listening to her lyrics, I realized that she used so much of her life experience and, better yet, other people's life experience to tell stories in her songs, much like the Decemberists but even better. I realized that I usually had quite a lot to say and one way to say it is through music. I had always loved to read and write. I mean writing was one of my best outlets, whether it was poetry, short stories, or the ramblings in my head, I was always writing whatever I was thinking. With my new found discovery, I started changing my writing into lyrics. I loved being able to create my own music and have it be special to me and no one else. Even Edward didn't know I wrote my own songs.

I sat back on my bed with my guitar, Anne, and started fiddling with Petra Haden's cover of the Coldplay song "Yellow." It was one of my favorites to play on the guitar and it held a special place in my heart ever since my sophomore year.

_~Flashback~_

_I looked at my window to see the snow gently falling onto the ground and groaned at the thought of putting chains on my car. Yesterday at school, I was talking with Edward and he even told me to do it yesterday so I wouldn't have to do it in the snow this morning. I quickly forgot all about our conversation though because we got into a fight last night. We were supposed to hang out that night at the park near our house and I was waiting for him on the swings. I was freezing and he was late, something that was becoming all too usual for him. Ever since he started hanging out with Tanya, he was forgetting our Tuesday meetings, our lunch dates, and just me in general. This meeting was supposed to make up for all his missed meetings. After ten minutes of waiting, I called him to see if he was almost here but it went straight to his voicemail. When twenty minutes passed, I called him again and got the same response. For the next half an hour, I called every ten minutes, each time leaving an even angrier message than the last, threatening to leave. When an hour had passed and he hadn't called or come, I decided to go home. My hands were frozen because I had forgotten my gloves at home, and it hurt to move. I was so angry at him though, so I didn't feel anything. When I was walking home, I passed his house and noticed his room light was on. What the hell?_

_I walked up to his house and knocked on the door. Esme, Edward's mom, opened the door._

"_Bella? What are you doing here?"_

"_I was supposed to meet Edward an hour ago at the park and he never came. Is he here? Because if he is, I want to give him a nice kick in the shins." I said with exasperation coloring my voice._

"_He's upstairs, sweetie. And you have my full permission to kick him wherever you see fit," she said angrily and stepped aside to let me in. I didn't even bother to take off my shoes or jacket, I just marched straight up the stairs to the room that was as familiar as my own. I didn't knock, which I should have, and just barged right into his room._

"_Oh my god," I said with a gasp as I took in the scene before me._

_Edward was laying on the bed with just his jeans on, Tanya was hovering over him in only her bra and jeans, and they were full on making out. At my outburst, Edward sat up so fast that Tanya rolled off the bed and onto the floor with a shriek._

"_Bella! What are you doing here?" he asked with shock covering his face. I could feel my face reddening in anger and I glared at him._

"_Does the park ring a bell?" I asked icily._

"_Oh my god. Bells, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot! I got home from school early and Tanya was on my door step waiting for me and we got to talking and…" he trailed off. By now, Tanya had gotten back up and was standing between me and Edward, looking back and forth between us._

"_So you skipped out on your _best friend _to screw your girlfriend. Some best friend you are. You know what, you can go to hell, Edward. I don't want any more excuses from you. You are the worst friend EVER!" I yelled as I stormed out of his room._

"_Baby, what's going on?" I heard Tanya ask in her high pitched voice._

"_Tanya, not _now_." Edward growled as I heard his footsteps coming down the hallway behind me. At the end by the stairs, I saw Alice's door swing open and she stepped out._

"_Bella, what happened?" she said as she took in my livid expression and her brother running after me._

"_Why don't you ask him, Alice. Because it looks like I just don't matter anymore." My voice broke as my eyes started to water._

"_I've got to get out of here," I said as I ran down the stairs and out the door._

"_Bella, come on! Will you just wait a second?" Edward yelled after me but I ignored him. I ran down the street and into my house, slamming the door behind me._

_I threw my jacket and boots on the floor by the door, thanking my lucky stars that my dad wasn't here to see me in my current state. A few seconds later, I heard banging on the door._

"_Bella?" pound pound pound._

"_Bella, let me in!" pound pound pound._

"_Bella, I'm sorry I forgot! I'm sorry I'm such an awful friend! I'm sorry I hurt you! But please, just let me in!" pound. I walked over to the door slowly and looked out the peephole to see Edward with his head leaning against the door in only his jeans and bare feet. I sighed and cleared my voice._

"_Edward, you need to go home. I am angry right now and might say things I will regret if we talk now, so just please, leave me alone. We can talk tomorrow," I said calmly and clearly._

"_Bella," I heard him whisper and then I heard as he walked down the steps and into the street. I went up to my bed room that night, taking a hot shower and turned on my ipod. _

_I don't think I had ever been as angry at him as I was at that point. I wanted nothing more than to never talk to him again. He hurt me deeply, and the worst part was, he didn't know he was doing it. When I walked in on them, I thought my heart was going to break (as melodramatic as that sounds). I loved him so much and it hurt like hell to see him practically screwing another girl. He didn't love her, I knew that much. But he was a teenage boy with a girlfriend. I lost to her so many times and I felt like tonight was the last time I could handle it._

_I laid down on my bed with my face in my pillow listening to my music playing softly in the background. I thought about how I felt when I was with him versus how I felt without him. When I was with him, I felt like the luckiest girl in the entire world. I felt special to him. I felt the love radiating from my body. When I was without him, I felt like I wasn't completely me. So much of who I was came from him and his powerful influence over me. I felt like a part of me was always missing when he was gone and I hated it. But lately, I hated being with him even more. When I was with him now, I knew that it wasn't me that kept the sparkle in his eyes. It wasn't me who he called every night. It wasn't me that was on top of him in his bedroom. It was some other girl that had his heart and how I hated that fact. It hurt so bad to know that I had lost him. Not only did I lose the hope that he could love me too, but I lost my best friend. He never called me, he never hung out with me, he only ever blew me off. I didn't know how much more of this I could take._

_I was moments away from deciding that being his friend was just too painful any more. I wanted to never speak to him again, hoping that I could get over him in time. His idiocy lately wouldn't make it as hard as it would have been. _But you could never be happy without him, Bella_. As soon as that thought entered my mind, I knew it was true. And at that moment, Yellow by Coldplay came on. I laughed out loud at the irony of the situation and then I quieted, listening to the music and lyrics._

Look at the stars,

Look how they shine for you,

And everything you do,

Yeah they were all yellow,

I came along

I wrote a song for you

And all the things you do

It was called "Yellow"

So then I took my turn

Oh what a thing to have done

And it was all yellow

Your skin,

Oh yeah your skin and bones

Turn in to something beautiful

You know, you know I love you so

You know I love you so

I swam across

I jumped across for you

Oh what a thing to do

Cause you were all yellow

I drew a line

I drew a line for you

Oh what a thing to do

And it was all yellow

Your skin

Oh yeah your skin and bones

Turn in to something beautiful

You know for you I'd bleed myself dry

For you I'd bleed myself dry

It's true look how they shine for you

Look how they shine for you…

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

And all the things you do.

_As the song ended, I realized that I could never give up Edward. My stars shone for him and only him. I would do anything for him and if I really loved him like I truly believed I did, and then I would be content to just be with him, friend or girlfriend, it didn't matter as long as I was with him. I was like a sick little puppy, being content with whatever scraps were thrown my way. But that's how it was, and it wasn't going to change anytime soon. After my revelation, I fell into a fitful sleep, not looking forward to our conversation tomorrow._

_ The next morning, I woke up to the annoying beeps of my alarm clock. As I opened my eyes, I realized that it was very quiet outside and there was a glow coming from my window. I tipoed over to the window and groaned at the sight in front of me, knowing now why Edward had suggested me putting the chains on my tires yesterday._

_How I cursed my laziness now. It was sure to be freezing cold and I was going to get soaking wet. I padded over to my closet and yanked out my heavy snow jacket and boots, gearing up for the job at hand. Another reason I hated snow was the fact that, where there was snow, there was ice. Me being the completely uncoordinated person I am, I always slipped on the ice like an idiot. Luckily these snow boots had some traction. _

_I clomped down stairs and grabbed my keys off the hook by the door and the chains from the hall closet and walked outside. I slowly walked down the steps and toward the side of our house where our driveway was, careful not to slip and fall on my butt. As I rounded the corner, I noticed something shiny glinting from the bottom of my truck. I dropped the chain box out of pure shock and ran over to see that my truck's tires were already coated with thick chains. My mouth popped open in shock and I noticed that there was a note taped to the inside of my car door. I stepped closer to read:_

"_I'm sorry…and I told you so __"__ written in Edward's messy scrawl. My eyes filled up at the sweet gesture in front of me and I forgave him on the spot. I wasn't going to let him off easy though. No, I'd make him earn my trust back again, somehow. But I knew that I could never stay mad at him, I loved him too damned much._

_~End Flashback~_

"What song is that?" Edward asked as he shut his phone and came walking back into the room. I stopped playing and smiled up at him.

"Just something that reminds me of why I'm here."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Alrighty, so I know it took forever for an update, but here it is! I am finally on a break from my life and have time to write forever and always! :) so I am. If you are reading this, thanks for sticking with it! I hope you enjoy.

* * *

The rest of the night was spent going through the rest of our music. Cd after cd was handed over and we talked about anything and everything, like always. Around ten, Esme called Edward telling him it was time to come home. He stood up and picked up his pile of cds. I looked up at him as he bent over and kissed me on the forehead, smiling at me softly.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sleep well," he said as he walked out of my room. I just sat there quietly, my head touching my forehead where he had kissed me. He had done it before, but it never failed to make me all tingly inside. I sighed softly and began putting my cds back in the box. I shoved it under my bed and stood up.

"Goodnight, Edward," I whispered quietly to my empty room. As I fell asleep that night, I wondered what it would feel like to have Edward kiss me for reals, like he does Tanya.

The next morning, I awoke to the obnoxious sound of my alarm beeping incessantly.

"Bells, hurry up! Edward is gonna be here anytime and your breakfast is getting cold," I heard Charlie yell up the stairs. I sat up in bed, mulling over Charlie's words. Breakfast? He made breakfast? I jumped out of the bed and ran down stairs, nearly falling flat on my face as I tripped over my shoes at the bottom of the stairs. I walked into the kitchen and saw Charlie sitting at the table, newspaper in hand, picking at a piece of bacon on the plate in front of him. I looked across the table and saw a similar plate set at my usual place, only this plate was filled with a pancake, scrambled eggs, and 2 strips of bacon. I stared shocked, my mouth hanging open.

"I…dad…what…why?" I managed to stutter as I plopped down in my chair, brushing my tangled hair out of my face, and stared at Charlie. He glanced up, turning slightly pink, and folded the newspaper, setting it down next to his plate.

"Well, I had some extra time this morning and I know today is a big day for you. I wanted to do something special for you," he mumbled quietly. "Besides, you are always making me meals and I feel bad I never do anything for you." I smiled widely at him and began shoving the food into my mouth. A sour taste filled my mouth and I immediately started gagging on the food. As tears filled my eyes, reached blindly across the table to grasp Charlie's cup of orange juice and downed the entire thing, swalling with it the disgusting "food." I slammed the cup down in front of me and gripped the table, gasping for air. As I calmed down, I looked over to see Charlie staring at me with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open with a piece of bacon halfway to his mouth. I smiled weakly at him and mumbled something about "wrong pipe" and "swallowed weird" hoping he didn't notice me shifting the food around on my plate, and not really eating. He nodded slowly, grunting acknowledgment and stood up from the table, going over to wash his dish.

"Just leave the dishes, dad, I'll do them," I told him, standing up from the table to putting my hand over his, slowly taking his plate and setting it on the counter. "You're gonna be late for work."

"Thanks Bells. Have a good day," he said as he patted me awkwardly on the shoulder and picked up his belt from the table. As soon as I heard the door close, I walked back over to the table, picking up my plate of…dare I say food? I slowly brought it closer to my face and held it under my nose, sniffing slightly. As soon as the stench hit my nose, I started gagging and set the plate down roughly on the table. "Food my ass," I mumbled to myself.

The sound of a horn made me jump out my skin and I glanced over at the clock and saw I was running late. I ran to the door and yanked it open. The volvo was parked in front of the house and Edward was sitting inside, looking at me with a "What the hell" kind of face. I held up my finger, mouthing "one minute," slammed the door shut and sprinted up the stairs to my room. I yanked my pajamas off and started opening random drawers, throwing on the first pair of jeans I saw and a t-shirt on top. I heard the door open downstairs and Edward walk into the house.

"Bells, come on! We're gonna be late again…" he said as he trailed off. I heard him walking around again, and I assumed he was heading for the kitchen. I quickly pulled a brush through my hair and put it up into a high ponytail. I brushed my teeth and splashed my face with water, hoping I looked presentable enough. I ran back into my room and started yanking on one of my shoes when I heard Edward mumbling to himself. "…perfectly good breakfast…waste…mmm bacon…" My eyes widened and I gasped in horror.

"EDWARD NO!" I grabbed my other shoe and backpack laying next to bed and hopped down the stairs, sprinting into the kitchen to see Edward had shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth. His head snapped up to me and I watched as his eyes widened in horror as he started sputtering and gasping. I walked calmly over to the cabinet, grabbed a glass, and filled it with water as he continued choking on the…food. He was grasping the edge of the table, much like I had, with a terrible look on his face. I handed him the glass, patting him on the back, watching to make sure he didn't throw up. He chugged the water and slammed the glass down, mirroring my earlier reaction, and turned to me with wide eyes.

"What the hell was that?" he asked increduously. I patted him one last time and took the plate to the sink and began dumping the remaining food down the drain.

"That, my dear friend, was Charlie's idea of breakfast," I said calmly as I finished washing the dishes. I turned to him and gave him a simpathetic smile. "I know, it can't even be classified as food. But it was sweet of him to try anyways, right?" I sat down at the table and finished putting on my shoes. I looked up at Edward to see him just staring at me with a weird look.

"What?"

"Nothing. Ready?" He asked as he shook his head and held his hand out to help me up. I grasped his fingers as he gently pulled me up and grabbed my backpack that I had dropped in my haste to help Edward and my guitar, Anne, that was sitting by the front door. As we made our way out to the car, Edward kept glancing back at me. He opened the door for me and took my backpackand Anne, setting them in the back seat, ran around to his side, climbing in and taking off for school. Minutes later, thanks to his terrifying speeding habits, we arrived and I clampered into the back seat, grabbing my backpack and Anne and hopped out of the car. It was chilly today, so I pulled my jacket tight around me and huddled into Edward's side as we made our way over the Emmett's car where the gang was waiting for us. Alice was curled into Jasper and Rosalie into Emmett and I was suddenly jealous of my friend's and their good fortune. Even though my position matched theirs, it was done without any reciprocation of my feelings.

"Hey guys, happy Wednesday!" I yelled cheerfully as we reached the huddle of our friends. They all turned and looked at me with strange expression. Alice reached out to feel my forehead and Emmett spit out an, "are you high?" while Rosalie just chuckled.

"Are you all really forgetting what happens today? I'm hurt," I said dramatically as I placed my hand over my chest. Edward looked down at me quizically as he raised his eyebrows.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"My audition? For the winter showcase!" I said with a sigh at the end, shaking my head at his poor memory and gesturing down to the guitar case I was holding. "It's today after school at 3. You all said you'd come last week, remember?" Oh yeahs and I remembers chimed around me as they all nodded in rememberance. Except Edward who was shuffling his feet uncomfortably. I put my hand on his arm as he avoided looking at me.

"Edward?" I asked, knitting my eyebrows together. He sighed heavily and lifted his eyes to mine. He had another strange look on his face, something like remorse? Guilt? _This can't be good_ I thought to myself.

"Bella, I'm so sorry but I promised Tanya I would take her into Port Angeles to help pick out her dress. I wish I could be there, but she's just been so angry lately and I can't cancel on her," he said as he implored me to forgive him with his eyes. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I had told him weeks ago that this was a really important audition for me because not everyone gets asked to perform, and I did. I needed my best friend to be there for me and he was bailing. So. Not. Ok. He had both hands on either of my arms, grasping me tightly as he stared into my face. I shoved them away roughly.

"I told you about this weeks ago. You have been with me so many times when I've been practicing. Edward, you are the one that encouraged me to go for it! And now your bailing on me? What the hell is that?" I stared at him in anger as he blew air out of his mouth that he seemed to be holding. He looked at the others standing around us and then back at me.

"She's my girlfriend, Bella. I can't back out on her now."

"And I'm your best friend, Edward. But I guess that doesn't mean much to you, now, does it? I have always been there, whenever you asked me to be, no questions asked."

"I know you have, and I couldn't ask for a better best friend! But I can't screw it up with Tanya. I'm standing one on leg with her right now, and if I do anything to piss her off, she's done with me. Please, Bella, I'm asking you to understand." He sounded so sincere at that point that I almost forgave him. Almost.

"Edward, I understand," I said quietly. His shoulders immediately slumped in relief and a smile began forming on his lips. It quickly faded when I looked up at him and he saw the dark expression in my eyes. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you. This is a huge thing for me, and if you're not there for it, then I don't know what it means for us. I've tried to be supportive of you and Tanya, but right now, you're killing our friendship. If you're not there, don't expect me to forgive you." I brushed his hands off my arms and turned away from him, grasping Alice's outstreched hand. As we walked away, I felt the others fall into step behind us and I glanced back to see Edward standing alone, watching our retreating forms. I sighed heavily and faced forward again.

"Hey. Don't worry about him, lil' sis. I'm sure he'll be there," Emmett said as he put an arm around my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Yeah, he's just being an idiot right now, but he'll come around," Rose said as she took Emmett's hand and pulled him away to their next class. She smiled at me as she turned around and they walked away.

"We're on your side, Bells. And we'll all be there today, cheering you on." I turned to Jasper and quietly thanked him as he too went to his class.

Thankfully, Alice and I had the same first period so we could talk about what just happened. She continued holding my hand and rubbing my back soothingly as we made our way into English. As we sat down at the table, she looked over at me and sighed.

"Bella, my brother is an idiot for not seeing what you really mean to him. Just give him time. He's confused right now, and with Tanya constantly bitching at him, he's stressed and annoyed. I'm not saying he's right to chose her over you, because he's not, especially for something as important as this, but please please don't be too harsh on him." She genuinely looked worried and I opened my mouth to reassure her when the door opened and the teacher walked in, starting class and ending our conversation.

The rest of the day flew by quickly. I ended up skipping lunch, partly because I didn't want to talk to Edward, on the off chance that he was actually sitting at our table, and partly because I wanted to get in some last minute practicing. Sitting in the music room by myself, I was able to get my mind off things for half an hour and just let the music consume me. Anne was a life saver. She really was. Strumming her softly was like a religion. It soothed me and gave my mind a break from all the thinking it was doing. Unfortunately, I couldn't hide out there for the rest of my classes. I headed for Biology as the bell sounded and barely made it in time. Edward was already at the lab table, head bent over a notebook as he was already scribbling down the notes on the board. I sat down quietly next to him and focused soley on the teacher and the lesson for the next hour and a half. I ignored all the notes he slid my way, and I could tell he was getting annoyed as he gave a silent huff and wadded up all the unopened paper laying in front of me at the end of class. As soon as the bell rang, I sprinted out the door, successfully avoiding any conversation with him. I went through the rest of my classes quietly, my anxiety over the audition building quickly as the day came to a close.

As the last bell rang, my nerves were on end. I felt like I was going to throw up any moment and my hands were shaking as I made my way to the music room one last time to grab Anne. Walking over to the auditorium, I tried to focus on the audition, but my thoughts kept straying to what this could mean for me. The winter showcase was a big deal here because representatives from a few of the top music schools would be there to listen. Unfortunately, only 10 students were selected to perform. Double unfortunately, at least a hundred auditioned. This audition was almost more important than the showcase because most the students that perform get offered some type of a scholarship to the music school of their choice. At that point, it's just a matter of who gives you more. At this point, it's a matter of making your talent known. I was lucky that I was able to skip a step in the audition process. Because I was asked by my music teacher to perform, I was able to avoid the first audition. The first one was a week ago, where the students underwent an interview and technical evaluations. Because I was in the advanced music course and my technique was pretty sound, my teacher recommended to the panel of judges that I skip that audition step, which they agreed to.

When I reached the backroom of the auditorium, I saw all the other students auditioning waiting in line, tuning their various instruments and voices. I sat down in a far corner, away from everyone else and took deep breaths. I slowly opened the case and took out Anne, running my fingers over her neck and snapping the strings, making sure none of them were loose. I strummed a couple chords to make sure she was still in tune from lunch, and began fiddling with my audition song. It was one of mine, written one summer when I was visiting my mom. I had written it was a poem, originally, but once I got Anne, I added a tune and tweaked it until it was perfect. It was a good choice for the audition because it showed off my guitar skills more than my voice.

Because I was invited to audition, I was the second one to perform for the judges. Angela, another girl from my advanced course, was performing now. Boy could that girl play the fiddle. It was ridiculous how talented she was. I knew for sure that she would continue on. If anyone deserved it, she did. As her song came to a close, I could hear her thanking the judges and then she appeared backstage where we all were waiting.

"Angela, that was amazing," I said sincerely as she let out a long breath.

"Thanks. Good luck, Bella. You'll do great," she said as she gave me a sweet smile. Just then, I heard my music teacher call my name. I grabbed my guitar and walked out from behind the curtain. I breifly heard cheers from the back of the auditorium, but I couldn't focus on that now. I walked swiftly to the stool sitting in the middle of the stage and faced the judges as I sat down and situated Anne.

"Whenever you're ready, Miss Swan," my teacher called out. I glanced up to see her give me a reassuring smile and a thumbs up. I swallowed thickly and began. I picked out the beginning chords and immediately felt my body relax as I got lost in the song. This song, like so many others, was my happy place. I knew it inside and out, and I played my heart out, pretending like I was playing for me.

So there goes my life,

Passing by with every exit sign.

It's been so long,

Sometimes I wonder how I will stay strong.

No sleep tonight,

I'll keep on driving these dark highway lines.

And as the moon fades,

One moment gone, only twenty more days.

But I will see you again,

I will see you again,

a long time from now.

And there goes my life,

Passing by with every departing flight.

And its been so hard,

So much time so far apart.

And she walks the night.

How many hearts will die tonight?

And will things have changed?

I guess I'll find out in seventeen days.

But I will see you again,

I will see you again,

a long time from now.

My body aches,

And it hurts to sing.

No one is moving.

And I wish that I weren't here tonight,

But this is my life.

And I will see you again,

I will see you again,

a long time from now

And I will see you again

I will see you again a long time from now

As the song came to a close, I breathed a sigh of relief. I stood up on shaky legs and quietly thanked the judges. As I walked to the back room, I looked to the back of the auditorium, squinting against the bright stage lights and saw people standing in the back, clapping and waving wildly. My heart dropped when I counted. There were only four.

* * *

Awww! Poor Bella :( Who wants to go hunt down Edward with me? Anyways, that glorious and wonderful song is Hello, I'm in Delaware by Dallas Green, an awesome artist who knows how to jam. Make sure to go check him out :) Again, wonderful people, thanks for reading! And make sure to review. I love hearing your opinions!

Peace out!

-Mel


End file.
